Kathie Lee Gifford and the late Frank Gifford were inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame on Tuesday evening, and Kathie Lee wore her emotions on her sleeve as she spoke about her late husband.
“I have to thank my incredible husband, who taught me so much, who was the most generous person I ever met,” Kathie Lee said as she accepted her award. “And he gave me the two greatest gifts that any human being could ever have and that’s my children!”
It’s no secret that Kathie Lee Gifford adores her two children. She went on to laud Cody and Cassidy Gifford as only a mother can.
.@KathieLGifford & late husband Frank inducted into Broadcasting Hall of Fame https://t.co/yzwXdzuJab pic.twitter.com/SL4smahsmz
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 21, 2015
“My children make me a better person every day. The hardest thing in the world to do is raise two people…who love God, who love their country. I guess they’ve done a lot of bad stuff but I don’t know about it!” she joked, eliciting laughs from the crowd. “And I don’t want to know alright!”
“But anyway, I want to thank Cody and Cassidy who are going to receive the award for Frank a little bit later in the evening. I am truly the most blessed woman on the earth. I had 29 years with my incredible husband and I remember thinking when we were getting married, I said, ‘Lord, if you give just me 10 [years] with that amazing man.’ I got that and a whole bunch more! So thank you everybody!”
Frank Gifford was 84 when he passed away of natural causes on August 9th. Kathie Lee Gifford has leaned on her strong Christian faith to get her through the past months since his death.
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5
— Kathie Lee Gifford (@KathieLGifford) October 22, 2015
Hoda Kotb–Kathie Lee Gifford’s co-host on the Today Show–and Regis Philbin–her former co-host on Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee presented Gifford with her award.
“Thank God I got this award before Kelly Ripa,” she joked as she accepted her award. “I mean, how embarrassing would that be?”
Back on The Today Show Wednesday, Kathie Lee Gifford was still talking about the honor both she and Frank received the night before.
'He taught me so much':
@KathieLGifford remembers Frank in touching Hall of Fame speech https://t.co/rnak95soNU pic.twitter.com/OLTmHjmT07
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 21, 2015
“It is a huge honor. The best part of the evening was that they also honored Frank. I think it’s the only hall of fame he is not yet in. Our children were there to receive it for their dad, so it was going to be difficult for me emotionally,” she said.
Not only were Cody and Cassidy Gifford there to support Kathie Lee at the awards ceremony, Today Show friends Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, and Tamron Hall were there, too.
Kudos to Kathie Lee Gifford on the award she received as well as for the grace she constantly exudes, in light of the pain she is surely still feeling.